Flanging machines



Feb. 9, 1965 M. sHuTT 3,168,919

FLANGING MACHINES Filed Aug. 1s, 1962 s sheets-sheet 1 Il u Feb. 9, 1965M. sHUTT FLANGING MACHINES I5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. l5, 1962lNvEN'roR Milo Shun Feb. 9, 1965 M. sHUTT 3,168,919

FLANGING MACHINES Filed Aug. '13, 1962 s sheets-sheet s INVENTOR MiloShu Wwf@ United States Patent Oiilice 3,168,919 Patented Feb. 9, 19653,163,919 FLANGING MACHINES Milo Shutt, Ailiance, hio, assigner to UnionIndustrial Company, Division of The Aliiance Machine Co., a corporationof hio Filed Aug. 13, 1962, Ser. No. 216,472 6 Claims. {CL 153-31) Thisinvention relates to flanging machines and particularly to a machine forforming flanges on plates for tank heads and the like.

The forming of rounded tank heads and the like with downturned flangeshas been practiced for many years by means of forming dies. Thispractice is expensive, requiring a vast stock of dies of different sizesand expensive storage and handling space and equipment.

The present invention eliminates the need for this stock of dies and theaccessory handling equipment yand storage space. The device of thisinvention makes it possible to form anged heads of any desired shapewithout any dies whatever and with a simple and easily controlledmechanism.

In a preferred embodiment I provide means for holding and rotating acircular plate to be flanged, roller means adapted to engage a portionof the plate on opposite sides thereof, said roller means being movablefrom the center of the plate outwardly toward the edge thereof, andmeans for changing the axis of the rollers with respect to the plane ofthe plate whereby the plate is bent from its original plane.

In the foregoing general description of my invention, I have set outcertain objects, advantages and purposes of my invention. Other objects,purposes and advantages of this invention will be apparent from aconsideration of the following description and the accompanying drawingsin which;

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a ianging machine according to myinvention;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the iianging machine of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is an end elevation partially in section of the anging machineof FIGURE l;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged elevation ofthe plate centering mechanismforming a part of the anging machine of FIGURE 1.

Referring to the drawings I have illustrated a Hanging machine having abase 1t) and spaced uprights 11 and 12 and a tailstock 13. The tailstock13 is provided with a center stock 14 journaled therein and adapted toengage one side of the center of a plate 15 to be flanged. The upright11 is provided with a drive arbor 15 engaging the center of plate 15opposite the center stock 14. The drive arbor 16 is journaled throughthe upright 11 and is driven by motor 17 mounted on upright 11.

A horizontally extending guide frame 18 is mounted on upright 12. Theguide frame 18 is Aprovided with ways V19 carrying a movable tailpiece26. The tailpiece 20 is moved on ways 19 by means of a piston 21operated by hydraulic cylinder 22; An arm 23 is pivotally mounted onshaft 24 on tailpiece 2t?. A piston 25 is connected to a dependingmember 26 on the end of arm 23 opposite the pivot on shaft 24. Thepiston is operated by hydraulic cylinder 25a to rotate arm 23 aboutshaft 24. A roller head 27 is journaled in the end of arm 23 oppositethe pivot 24. A crank arm 28 is mounted on the roller head 27 forrotating the head in its journal 27a. A piston 29 is connected to crankarm 28 and is operated by hydraulic cylinder 3G mounted on arm 23. Theroller head 27 is provided with dovetail ways 31 carrying a curvedroller arm 32. The arin 32 is provided with roller 33` which bears onplate 15. A movable roller arm 34 is pivoted on pin 35 on arm 32. Theroller arm 34 carries a roller 36 which bears on plate 15 oppositeroller 33.. The roller arm 34 is moved about pivot pin 35 by piston 37actuated by hydraulic cylinder 38 pivoted on arm 32 to move roller 3eaway from plate 15. A hydraulic cylinder 39 is fixed to the arm 32 andoperates a piston 40 iixed to the roller head 27. This permits the arm32 to be moved along ways 31 to change the relative position of thepivot 35 with respect to the axis of the rotating head 27.

An adjusting screew 41 is fixed at one end 41a for rotation in a fixedjournal 42 in arm 23 adjacent the head 27. The opposite end of screw 41passes through nut 43 on tailpiece 20 and is fixed to a drive motor 44.Rotation of screw 41 changes the position of pivot 24 with respect tothe pivot of head 27 so that the eifective radius of the arm 23 may beadjusted to suit the work being done.

A plate centering device is placed about the drive arbor 16. Thecentering device is made up of two U-shaped members 45 and 46 eachcarrying two arms 47 and 48. Each arm in turn carries a finger 47a and48a parallel to the axis of rotation of the plate 15. A hydrauliccylinder 49 and piston 49a mounted on base 10 moves U-member 45vertically. Each of the U-mexnbers 45 and 45 is provided with a rack 50which cooperates with a gear 51 so that movement of U-member 45 movesU-member 46 in the opposite direction a like distance.

The operation of the device is as follows. A plate `15 is placed on thefingers 47a and 48a of U-member 45. The cylinder 49 is actuated tocenter the plate and the plate is fastened between the drive arbor 16'and the cen ter stock 14 which is actuated by piston rod 14b andcylinder 14a secured to tailstock 13. The center device is then reopenedto its starting position. The effective length of arm 23 is adjusted bymoving pivot 24 with respect to head 27 by means of the motor 44 andscrew 41. The arm is then locked by rotating hand wheel 52 which causesscrew 53 to jam against arm 23 and hold tailstock 26 at the selectedposition. The tailstock 2l), arm 23, roller head 27 and arm 32 are thenmoved on Ways 19 by means of piston 21 and cylinder 22 -to position theroller 33 against the plate 15 adjacent to the center stock 14. Arm 34is then moved by piston 37 and cylinder 38 to bring roller 36 in contactwith plate 15. The drive motor 17 is energized to rotate plate 15 andthe arm 23 is rotated downwardly (viewing FIG. 1) by means of piston 25and cylinder 25a until a limit switch 54 mounted on the depending member26 strikes a Variable stop 55 on the base 10. The stop 55 may bevariably positioned to actuate the limit switch at any preselected spot.When limit switch 54 is actuated it closes the valve to cylinder 25a andopens the valve to cylinder 30 which operates piston 29 to rotate crankarm 28 and thereby head 27 to make the sharp radius of the dependingHarige. A limit switch'o on crank arm `28 strikes adjustable stop 57 onframe 11 when sutlcient radius has been formed. Switch 56 closes thevalve to cylinder 30 and opens the valve to cylinder 22 which moves thetailstock 20 on ways 19 thus drawing the rollers 33 and 36 generallyparallel to the axis of rotation of the plate 15 to form the cylindricalange portion 15a.

I also provide a support and guide member 58 which is attached to guideframe 18 against which arm 23 bears and which prevents lateral movementor exing of the arm 23 from normal vertical travel during oper-ation dueto the natural pull on arm 23 from rollers 33 and 36 bearing on plate15.

In the foregoing description of my invention. I have set out a preferredembodiment and practice of my invention. It will be understood howeverthat this invention may be otherwise embodied within the scope of thefollowing claims.

I claim:

1. A Hanging machine comprising means for holding .2 and rotating acircular plate to be anged about an axis, rolier means adapted to engagesaid plate on opposite sides thereof adjacent the axis, means for movingthe rollers from the point adjacent the axis of the plate outwardlytowards the edge thereof and means for selectively changing the axis ofthe rollers with respect to the plane of the plate whereby the plate isbent from its original plane to a plane parallel to the axis of therollers.

2. A tlanging machine comprising means for holding and rotating acircular plate to be flanged about an axis, roller means adapted tengage said plate on oppositesides thereof adjacent the axis, means formoving the rollers from the point adjacent the axis of the plateoutwardly towards the edge thereof, meansl for selectively changing theaxis of the rollers with respect to the plane of the plate whereby theplate is bent from its original plane to a plane parallel to the axis ofthe rollers and means for moving the rollers generally parallel to theaxis of rotation of the plate. V

3. A hanging machine comprising means for holding and rotating acircular plate to be flanged about an axis, means for centering theplate on said axis, roller means adapted to engage said plate onopposite sides thereof adjacent the axis, means for moving the rollersfromthe point adjacent the axis of the plate outwardly towards the edgethereof and means for selectively changing the axis of the rollers withrespect to the plane of the plate whereby the plate is bent from itsoriginal plane to a plane parallel to the axis of the rollers.

4. A flanging machine comprising means for holding and rotating acircular plate to be anged about an axis, a pair of arms extending onopposite sides of said plate, roller means on'said arms adapted toengage said plate on opposite sides thereof adjacent the axis, means formoving the arms to carry the rollers from the point adjacent the axis ofthe plate outwardly towards the edge thereof and means for selectivelychanging the direction of movement of the arms to change the axis of therollers with respect to the plane of the plate whereby the plate is bentfrom its original plane to a plane parallel to the axis of the rollers.

5. A rlanging machine comprising means for holding and rotating acircular plate to be anged about an axis, a pair of arms extending onopposite sides of said plate, roller means on said arms adapted toengage said plate on opposite sides thereof adjacent the axis, means forrotating the arms about an axis transverse to the axis of the plate,second means for moving the arms transverse to the axis of the plate andtransverse to the axis of rotation of the arms to carry the rollers fromthe point adjacent the axis of the plate outwardly towards the edgethereof and means for shifting the Vrelative position of the arms andthereby the axis of the rollers with respect to the plane of the platewhereby the plate is bent from its original plane to a plane parallel tothe axis ofthe plate.

6. A Hanging machine comprising means for holding and rotating acircular plate to be flanged about an axis, means for centering saidplate on said axis, a pair of arms extending on opposite sides of saidplate, roller means'on said arms adapted to engage said plate onopposite sides thereof .adjacent the axis, means for rotating the armsabout an transverse to the axis of the plate, second leans for movingthe arms transverse to the axis of the plate and transverse to the axisof rotation of the arms to carry the rollers from the point adjacent theaxis of` the plate outwardly towards the edge thereof and means forshifting the relative position of the arms and thereby the axis of therollers with respect to the plane of the plate whereby the plate is bentfrom its original plane to a plane parallel to the axis of the plate.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 738,428 9/03Gabriel 153-31 CHARLES w. LANHAM, Pfmary Examiner. MroHAnL v. BRINDISI,Examiner.

1. A FLANGING MACHINE COMPRISING MEANS FOR HOLDING AND ROTATING ACIRCULAR PLATE TO BE FLANGED ABOUT AN AXIS, ROLLER MEANS ADAPTED TOENGAGE SAID PLATE ON OPPOSITE SIDES THEREOF ADJACENT THE AXIS, MEANS FORMOVING THE ROLLERS FROM THE POINT ADJACENT THE AXIS OF THE PLATEOUTWARDLY TOWARDS THE EDGE THEREOF AND MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY CHANGINGTHE AXIS OF THE ROLLERS WITH RESPECT TO THE PLANE OF THE PLATE WHEREBYTHE PLATE IS BENT FROM ITS ORIGINAL PLANE TO A PLANE PARALLEL TO THEAXIS OF THE ROLLERS.